A New Leaf
by bronzelord
Summary: The once powerful Uzumaki Clan have been scattered and lost, and the remnants have been lost to the winds. One of these few remaining Uzumaki is Naruto. Alone and unwanted in Konoha, he is discovered by another of the scattered yet illustrious line. How does Naruto's life change under the tutelage of a loving and capable Uncle and Aunt, who will never allow him to be alone again.
1. Chapter 1

A single red headed man slid into the horizon with a honey blond at his side. He sent her a small smile, before taking her hand and leading her forward through the forest path. They both moved with an air of confidence before stopping.

"We can sense you, why not just come on out?" The man gently suggested into air, before several masked men in coats appeared around them.

"Well, ANBU? We managed to stumble on some ANBU." The man murmured quietly, seeming genuinely concerned before he smiled brightly.

"I guess you don't know who I am then?" When he received no answer, he smiled more brightly.

"My name is Hikaru... Uzumaki Hikaru. And this is my wife Uzumaki Hitomi."

"You are known among us. Why are you here." the head ANBU replied, causing the red head to continue to smile.

"Well, you see, I and my wife, have taken up visiting, and have decided to come visit a cousin of mine here in the Village of leaves." He gestured his hand at his honey blond wife, who smiled and bowed slightly.

"Hello, Anbu!" She murmured bubbly. The head Anbu officer stared at them, and then with some unseen communication, he began to speak.

"You are both shinobi correct?" The smile on the red head's face wilted slightly before he answered.

"Had been shinobi. Anbu-san. We are no longer active shinobi, it has been many years, since we have been active." The ANBU stood silently for a moment. Then slowly, he reached up and pulled off his mask, the silver haired man stood there with a slight eye smile.

"Ne, Hikaru-san. Long time no see." The red head's mouth dropped and his eyes widened.

"Kakashi-kun?" The silver haired man simply eye smiled and scratched his head nervously.

"Hai... Well, I am supposed to escort you to the Hokage. There are some things that need to be discussed, before anything happens." He sent a sideways glance at the other ANBU. HIkaru's eyes immediately narrowed.

"Well, Kakashi-san. Let us see what you have to share with us."

**In the Hokage's office**

"Well, Hikaru-san, Hitomi-san, it is a pleasure to see you both. What brings you both here?"

"Hokage-sama no disrespect, but why am I here?" HIs eyes had turned to ice chips. THe old man sighed.

"I had you brought here because, I wanted to explain somethings that have transpired here. As you know, Minato died four years ago protecting the village from the rampage of the Kyuubi. He was also, as you know, married to one Uzumaki Kushina. Their union created a small child-"

"Namikaze Naruto." THe hokage's eyes softened slightly.

"Unfortunately, the night the Fourth Hokage died, Namikaze Kushina also perished. Leaving behind an orphaned newborn son. Due to the dire danger that was incurred by his parents, the boy was given his Mother's surname." Hikaru's face got stony.

"What are you saying? Kushina, she's-"

"She has passed away, and her child is the new Jinchuuriki of the Village." The Hokage's face was suddenly lined with age and sadness. Hikaru sat stock still, gripping the armrests.

"So you're telling me, my nephew, the blood of my blood has been alone without family to raise him, for four years? Why were we not contacted?!" He hissed, green eyes seeming like icy viridian chips.

"We couldn't find you. And even if we could, Naruto will not be allowed to leave the village. He is to remain here, something that I am sure, neither of you particularly desire." He sighed and pulled out a pipe and lit it.

"So, you must also realize that as family, as blood you have every right to visit Naruto, but I would caution you, do not do anything rashly. The life of a young boy is easily swayed." After a moment, of frigid silence, HIkaru huffed and stood up, mumbling about needing a drink, and slid out of the room. Hitomi breathed out a loud sigh.

"Well, you sure know how to welcome guests, Sarutobi-sama." She murmured, and the old man sent her a sympathetic glance.

"Why didn't you try to contact us? No doubt that you would've been able to." The Hokage took a deep drag of his pipe before answering.

"I was hoping that a certain man, would return home. Jiraiya, my pupil, was named the boy's Godfather. And while he hasn't done nothing. He set up a lucrative fund for the boy, bought him an apartment floor. Buys whatever he needs, he simply is not ready to face the boy. There is too much inside of him, too much pain, too much guilt. He's not ready to take the boy. And just as I arrived at this notion, you both had disappeared and I couldn't find you with my resources." He tipped his hat in respect. A sigh slipped from the blond's lips.

"So what exactly are we dealing with here?" THe hokage chuckled gently.

"Oh, you will meet my little troublemaker's charge, your nephew. His name is Naruto."

Hikaru's hand froze, hovering over the door. A rush of emotions flooded his being, uncertainty, fear, pity, anger, all bounding up from within. He was on the edge of turning back when a soft hand took his and sharply rapped on the door. He sent a sideways glance at his wife who was standing there giving him an annoyed glance right back.

"I was going to-"

"I wasn't going to wait any longer." She cut him off, right as the door swung open. A young blond boy stood in the doorway rubbing at his eyes. For a moment, it was silent as the young blond boy stared at them. Slowly he hid behind the door slightly, and with huge blue eyes asked quietly.

"Umm... Can I help you?" Hikaru was shaking with a mixture of anger and affection, there in front of him was the spitting image of the man who had taken his cousin out on a date the last time he was here. His throat was tight and he was not sure how to react, until Hitomi dropped down onto her knees and gave the boy the biggest brightest smile he'd seen in a long time.

"Hey there! You're name is Naruto right?" Her voice was sweet and warm, and the boy almost melted at her tone. His bright blue eyes widened and his face was split in half by a huge happy grin as he nodded his head vigorously. Her hand slowly reached out and caressed the youngster's face, hesitating slightly on the whisker-like marks on his cheeks. And the boy with his large doe-like eyes leaned into the touch a small sigh slipping from his lips.

"Well, Naruto. My name is Hitomi, Uzumaki Hitomi." She spoke very softly. HIs eyes brightened a little.  
>"That's my last name!" Her answering smile was almost as dazzling as the boy's.<p>

"Yes, and this is my husband, Uzumaki Hikaru. He was your mother's cousin." As she spoke, HIkaru felt himself drop to his knees and gave the boy a careful smile. The boy's eyes fixed completely on him.

"You knew my mother?" His voice was quiet and subdued. His blue eyes radiated a small melancholy hope. A quick momentary stab of pain jolted Hikaru's heart. And his hand gently caressed the boy's cheek.

"Yes. I knew your mother. I loved her deeply, and I know that she would have loved you oh so dearly. She would never have wanted you to be left alone. Naruto, I'm so sorry. I am so sorry that you have been alone all this time. Naruto, do you think that we could come inside?" He finished with a small eye crinkling smile. Naruto looked the red headed man in the eyes, his cerulean orbs glowing with happiness connecting with the penitent viridian ones, and an ear to ear grin blossomed over the boy's face.

"Please come in." He spoke and pushed the door wider.


	2. Chapter 2

Hikaru took a deep breath as he stood in front of the door of the Hokage's office. Hesitation was eating him alive, his body fighting rigidity, his teeth clenching as he finally brought up his arm.

"Hikaru, stop standing outside there, and hurry up inside." The Hokage's voice was slightly subdued through the door. Hikaru's anger faded slightly as he pushed the door open to see a tired looking old man. He paused from the mounds of paperwork that littered his entire desk. The tired smile he wore only served to remind of why he was here.

"Sarutobi-sama."

"Hikaru, how may I help you?" Even the man's voice seemed exhausted. He took a deep breath before speaking.

"Hokage -sama. I do not wish for my nephew to continue living like this. I will not stand for it. I cannot live another day knowing that he must suffer so. This is inhuman in every sense." His voice dropped to a deadly whisper. At this the old man seemed to age before his eyes, and he placed his pen down on the table.

"What would you have me do, then Hikaru?" The red head's hands tightened in indignation.

"Give the boy to me and Hitomi, we are his only remaining kin. He deserves a life, he deserves a chance to live. That is something that you people will never give him. He has spent the first years of his life living in solitude and bearing the burden of a hatred strong enough to break even the strongest of men." He had spoken it resolutely and determinedly. And the Hokage sighed once more.

"Hikaru, you of all people should know that I would give him to you in a second, but it isn't possible. He is a Jinchuuriki. The jinchuuriki of this village, and there are many here who would die before they allow the most powerful weapon to slip out of Konoha's fingers. Although I would, I cannot, for the safety of this village. But I can if you are willing, help you become permanent fixtures in Naruto's life." Hikaru's eyebrow shot up.

"As I said earlier, I do not wish for you to simply walk into the boy's life, just to leave him alone again. If you want to be a part of his life, then it needs to be for the long run, Hikaru. No more running, no more travelling, no more disappearing acts. No more hiding. If you are to accept the full responsibility for Naruto, it must be full responsibility. No cutting corners. So what do you say Hikaru?" The old man let go of the paperwork to stare into the younger man's eyes. His gaze steady and open, ready to accept whatever Hikaru had to say. After a tense moment, the red head sighed and his shoulder dropped.

"I will not leave my cousin's only child alone in a village that despises him. Kushina was one of the sweetest, and loving people I had ever known, and I'll be damned if I were to walk away from her child, who while looking like her husband, is an carbon copy of her personality. If I leave him, what will happen to him? Who will watch over him? Will he loose the luster he inherited from his parents? Or would he descend into darkness and become the weapon the people of this village fear he is?" Hikaru had turned around and stared through a window.

"Hitomi and I, cannot leave Naruto, especially now that we have met him. He is as bright and glowing as his Mother." He turned slowly, tears streaking down his cheeks.

"And now he is all that is left of Kushina in the world." His voice was low and hollow.

"And there is no way in hell that I am going to leave him alone. He'll never be alone again." The older man leaned more heavily in his chair and motioned at a small cabinet in the corner of the room. With only a small moment of hesistation he opened it and pulled out a small bottle of sake with only a small questioning glance. Sarutobi accepted it with a grateful smile.

"I find that some days only happen with alcohol at its start." He poured himself a small shot and looked up at Hikaru, who merely shook his head.  
>"Hitomi'd kill me if I drank this early in the day." The third chuckled lightly and downed the small glass in one gulp.<p>

"Well, Hikaru, we can't have you dying on us can we? So, tell me what are you thinking Hikaru?" A sigh slipped from his lips as he settled into the chair beside him.

"What can I say? He is amazing. He is exuberance personified. When he talked with us, he was so excited, and last night, and he was just so innocent. So happy. And yet, I could see the pain on the edge of it all. The sparse room, his excessive excitement in talking to us, his near empty kitchens, and he flinched when we surprised him. Its so obvious that he has been either neglected or abused. I cannot abide this thought." Th two fell into a silence that was neither angry not very companionable, just silence.

"I take it then, Hikaru, that you haven't quite gotten over your mistrust of the Village?" Another sigh fell from the red head's lips.

"I don't particularly like any village really. Be they Konoha or Kiri. I don't like the great nations and that's why I don't stay long anywhere." He stretched back in the chair.

"The Great Villages are too fast to forget about their word and their promises in exchange for protecting their own interests." The old man chuckled slightly, before sombering out.

"I remember the day that Ushio fell. We arrived but one day late." His voice was gravelly and full of sorrow.

"One day. Imagine how different life could have been if one day had not occured." The HOkage nodded sagely at his words.

"But we cannot change the past Hikaru. We can only look to the future." After a long pause, Hikaru nodded.

"I promise that I am not going anywhere. If Naruto cannot leave the Village so be it. This will be my home. In days past there were many of my people that lived in this village. I would like to take up that place again." A rare smile graced the old man's face.

"Of course. You realize that used to be the Senju Complex as well." Hikaru's eyes widened slightly, but he did nothing but give a curt nod.

"And I expect that you and Hitomi will want to claim Clan status. Being that you are of one of the most prestigious Clans in all of history, I expect that there will be little resistance to the idea. And when you are announced as Kushina's first cousin and a near relative of Mito's. I imagine that the rest of the complaints will remain silent until they are able to ascertain your level of danger to themselves." The Hokage chuckled quietly at his own predictions while Hikaru frowned.

"I get the feeling that you are too happy about this."

"My dear boy. I am tired of the status quo here in Konoha, I feel that this is exactly what this Village needs to shake itself back into reality. Most of the villagers have become settled into a routine, an illusion of something that isn't quite real. And so I look forward to the drop in the pond that you will be. I expect that you will send ripples farther than even you will realize." Hikaru rolled his eyes.

"I will say this. Hitomi and I will return to active duty once Naruto is of a more suitable age. So income shouldn't be a problem for the next two or three years." Sarutobi nodded.

"Also, his parents left him a substantial amount of money and Jiraiya will also be funding the boy. And I'm sure you know, the Uzumaki had secure accounts here, accounts that haven't been touched for your information, and thats not even going to include whatever you find sealed away behind the Uzumaki Seals. Money should not be an issue for you or your wife or Naruto. However, I do have another question for you." At this the old man placed his elbows on the table and interlinked his fingers, his eyes boring into Hikaru.

"Are there any more of the Uzumaki lost in the world?" Hikaru frowned.

"Why?" Sarutobi sighed.

"One of the most heartbreaking things I ever witnessed was the day Mito-sama heard her home was obliterated. She was perhaps the strongest woman I had ever met in my entire life. And yet when this happened and she heard that it was possible that she was the last of her family, she broke down and wept for her people. If I can help even a little to bring back one of the most proud and powerful Clans of history, I will do whatever is in my power to do so." After a moment of tightness, Hikaru lowered his head in respect his eyes glistening a little.

"You are a great man, Sandaime-sama." Came his slow answer, his voice thick with gratitude.

"No, Hikaru. I am an old man, and I have a lifetime of regrets, but even I must continually look forward." Hikaru swallowed thickly through a suddenly dry throat.

"Go, Hikaru. Go home to your wife, and to your nephew." As he stood and grabbed a hold of the door the Hokage spoke agian.

"Oh, and Hikaru."

"Yes, Hokage-sama?"

"Welcome home."


	3. Chapter 3

Hitomi couldn't help but gaze adoringly at the little blond lump sleeping peacefully in her arms. They had stayed the night in this young boy's apartment, and he had fallen asleep on her lap, during their game of twenty questions. He looked so innocent and angelic that Hitomi had swept him into her arms as soon as his eyes had closed, and he instinctively had wrapped himself around her neck and leaned more heavily into her. She hadn't even known the boy for two hours and she was already smitten with him. So, she and Hikaru took him to the small bed and fell asleep together cuddling as close as was possible. Hikaru had left earlier in the morning, giving bother her and the young blond boy a quick peck on the head as he left to speak with the Hokage.

She knew that there was no way they were going to be able to leave this boy alone. Especially now that they had met him. He was a ball of sunshine and happiness. When they had sat down last night, he was completely restless, he bounced around the whole house trying to show them everything that the apartment was, his various belongings, the view from his room, and even his favorite food ramen. Then, after they had made some, they sat down and talked. They listened as the boy just prattled on about his likes and dislikes, his daily activities and the village in general.

A small smile graced her lips just thinking about the night before, and she gently ran a hand through his soft downy blond hair. As her fingers glided through the blond strands, Naruto let out a happy sigh and nuzzled his way closer to her. Watching him filled her with deep warmth and happiness, and at the same time a small tightness in her chest. Something she could only combat by holding the boy closer, and pressing her lips to the top of his head, breathing in his clean scent.

After what seemed a long stretch of time, she felt him shift slightly in her arms and then push slowly away from her. Reluctantly, she allowed him to pull away from her. He rubbed at his eyes, and then those gorgeous cerulean orbs, still glossy from sleep, fixed on her. Confusion and then recognition flashed instantly through those expressive orbs, before he crashed back against her, his small arms trying to wrap about her as he squealed.

"Hitomi-oneechan!" His pure excitement at just seeing her, stirred that warmth once more.

"Naruto, how did you sleep?" She spoke quietly, almost whispering the words down into his hair. His reply was muffled as he had no interest in separating himself from her.

"Mmmm…. Warm…" He mumbled. She chuckled and kissed his head again.

"I always get cold when I sleep, but it was so warm I didn't want to wake up." She laughed and then after a moments wait she spoke again.

"How about some breakfast then?" His answering smile was blinding and he shot out of her arms and towards the kitchen.

She stood up and followed him, opening up the fridge and taking out some eggs and some vegetables. As she cooked, Naruto just watched her completely taken by her every movement. After a few moments of cutting and cooking, she served up two steaming hot omlettes, that had Naruto's mouth watering. He then dived into the food. She smiled and ate, and when he was finished with his she pushed the leftover half of hers at him. He sent her the most grateful look. She just chuckled more as he cleared the plate.  
>Just as she was about to speak again, the door swung open and Hikaru stepped in. She looked over at him, seeing the instant softening of his eyes and the quick quirk of his lips upon seeing the little blond bundle of energy that jumped up from the table and leapt straight into the older man's waiting open arms.<p>

"Umph... Naruto, you're heavier than I remember. Did you gain some pounds while I was out." He joked and poked the blond in the stomach when the boy pouted.

"Hikaru onii-chan! I am not fat!" He grumbled but didn't let go of the red head, who began to merely draw comforting circles into the boy's back.

"Mmmm.. Not yet... But with Hitomi feeding you, who knows what willl happen."

"What was that Hikaru?" She inserted with a sickly sweet voice. He merely turned to her and flashed her that trademark grin that turned her into a puddle of goop.

"I was just telling Naruto how delicious and amazing your food is, and how when you make it I always want to eat more!" As he spoke Naruto turned his head and fixed an innocent wide-eyed stare on her, and nodded in agreement. A small giggle slipped from her lips as the two began to discuss what 'Hitomi-Oneechan was going to make for lunch. After a while, Hikaru looked around the room, and frowned.

"Naruto, there is no room for all three of us here in this house." A small frown overtook the man's face, and Naruto frowned at the room.

"What do you mean?" He said quietly.

"There is no way that the three of us will be able to live comfortably here in this apartment." He sighed disappointedly. And Naruto's face dropped, Hitomi felt her hackles rising at the sight, until Hikaru shook his head, and grabbed the young boy close.

"I guess you'll just have to come live with me and Hitomi then, won't you?" The young blond gave him a dumb look before it clicked, and he launched himself into Hikaru's arms with a squeal. Hikaru let loose a loud laugh and spun Naruto about. When he came to stop Hitomi slid her arms around the two of them, and hugged them tightly. And with that a small sigh of happiness let itself go as she closed her eyes. She knew that nothing would come between her and her new family.


End file.
